Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander — the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

Review

"It's refreshing to read crime fiction that burns with such blue-flame intensity in which every word counts. There is passion here...but Larsson never allow Fire to boomerang out of control." San Antonio Express-News

Review

"If the thriller part of Larsson's exceptional novel is the icing, more profound elements are the philosophical cake. On the deepest level, this is about the evil [that] men and the rare woman...do." Chicago Sun-Times

Review

“Boasts an intricate, puzzle-like story line... even as it accelerates toward its startling and violent conclusion.” New York Times

Review

“Gripping stuff.... A nail-biting tale of murder and cover-ups.” People

Review

“You might as well give up on the idea of sleep till you’ve finished the book.” Dallas Morning News

Review

“Buzzes with ideas [and] fizzes with fury.” Los Angeles Times

Review

“Lisbeth Salander could be the female Jason Bourne... It’s an intelligent, fascinating story that draws readers in, and keeps them turning the page.” Associated Press

Synopsis

Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing exposé on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

About the Author

Stieg Larsson, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic, right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Reading Group Guide

“Boasts an intricate, puzzlelike story line . . . even as it accelerates toward its startling and violent conclusion.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

The introduction, questions, and suggestions for further reading that follow are intended to enhance your reading group's discussion of The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson's propulsive follow-up to his bestselling debut, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

1. Have you read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? How did your knowledge—or lack of knowledge—about that novel affect your reading of this one?

2. Discuss the prologue. What did you think was going on? At what point did you fully understand it?

3. On page 31-32, Larsson writes, “Within mathematics, assertions must always be proven mathematically and expressed in a valid and scientifically correct formula.” What does this have to do with the plot of the novel? Why is Salander so intrigued by mathematics?

4. Outwardly, Salander is supremely self-assured. Why does she have breast augmentation surgery?

6. Revenge is a major theme of the novel. Who seeks it, and what are the results?

7. Discuss gender politics as they affect the plot: the treatment of Salander, Erika Berger, Miriam Wu, Sonja Modig, and the trafficking of Eastern European women. What do you think Larsson was trying to say about the role of women in society?

8. On page 150, Berger thinks about Blomkvist: “He was a man with such shifting traits that he sometimes appeared to have multiple personalities.” Given that the reader is allowed inside Blomkvist's head, does this seem like an accurate description to you? How is Berger right in her assessment, and how is she wrong?

9. Twice in the novel, Salander and Blomkvist refer to his assertion that “friendship is built on two things—respect and trust.” Who is a true friend to Salander? Is she a true friend to anyone? What about Blomkvist? Is he a good friend to Salander, to Berger, and to others?

10. Discuss the arrangement agreed to by Berger, Blomkvist, and Gregor Beckman. How does this benefit each of them? Does it hurt them?

11. When Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson were murdered, what was your first response? Who did you think was the killer? Who did you think was Bjurman's killer?

12. Why does Blomkvist give Salander the benefit of the doubt, when so many others don't?

13. When newspaper articles begin to appear featuring interviews with long-ago acquaintances of Salander, did it change your perception of her character? Discuss the nature of truth in these instances: is it possible both sides were remembering accurately?

14. Discuss Dr. Peter Teleborian. What role does he play, and why?

15. Why does Berger put off telling Blomkvist about her new job? What will the ramifications of the new job be?

16. On page 462, Salander thinks, “There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility.” What is the significance of this statement? How does Salander use this notion to guide her actions?

17. On page 667, Blomkvist calls Salander “the woman who hated men who hate women.” Is this an accurate assessment? How did she end up this way? How does it affect her behavior?

18. In what ways is Salander like her father and half brother? In what ways is she different?

19. Toward the end of the novel, does Blomkvist do the right thing by having Berger deliver only part of the story to Jan Bublanski and Modig? What do you think he should have done?

20. Holger Palmgren tells Dragan Armansky on page 705, “What happens tonight will happen, no matter what you or I think. It's been written in the stars since [Salander] was born.” Why does he feel this way? Is he right? How does his inaction affect the outcome of the story?

21. Discuss the ending. Were you satisfied? What more, if anything, would you like to have had happen?

22. If Stieg Larsson were still alive, what one question would you most like to ask him?

(For a complete list of available reading group guides, and to sign up for the Reading Group Center enewsletter, visit www.readinggroupcenter.com)

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What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating 5 (11 comments)

This series is so amazing but TGWPWF is the one that stood out most to me because it is the middle of the drama. Lisbeth's past comes back to life in this installment and it ends her, instead of her mother, in a life altering position. This book includes so much information about the beloved characters and slowly continues to tie up loose ends but leaves plenty for the third book. If i could bring Mr. Larsson back to life I would in a heartbeat because we would all benefit from his brilliant mind, let him RIP. No series has ever been so incredibly detailed and so thick with layers. It is always a pleasure reading a novel written by pure talent.

Loved this book, actually the whole series was great. A good read that is hard to put down. Love how Stieg Larsson creates his characters in such depth. Wish that there would be more offerings from this author, but alas, that is not to be.

First of all, do not buy this book without buying the next in the trilogy for the minute you finish this one you are gonna want the next! Anouther brilliant installment in the millennium trilogy! Although I felt as if this story started off a little slower than the first I was definetly hooked from page one. Lisbeth is such a fascinating charactor, and we finally get a peek into her life with this book. Stieg Larson is a master at plot twist and surprises and this book kept me on the edge of my seat for sure!

Even better than the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this one starts off awesomely from page one. I couldn't believe how it sucked me in and I generally don't love this type of novel. You really care about the characters and sit on the edge every single second. Salander is incredibly well written - complicated, flawed, rounded character with which you can still, unbelievably, identify with and root for while wanting to care for her and give her love. It's embarrassing how much you get sucked into her world. Fantastic book!

LOVED this book! It picks up right where The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo left off, and is even more suspenseful than the first. The Girl Who Played With Fire is everything that a good mystery book should be.

Not a comment on this book, since I haven't read it. But...the subtitled Swedish film of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first in this trilogy, is available from Netflix. It's stunning, and frightening, and lays the groundwork for the rest. Highly recommended to immerse you in the atmosphere and settings of Larsson's novels.

This is one h*ll of a read. As a mystery-crime-thriller, Steig Larsson's "Girl Who Played with Fire" is paced smoothly in the beginning, then draws you more and more in, until finally your heart is pounding in the last 200 pages with its shattering end and cliffhanger. If you're a fan of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," it's predecessor, then you already know how brilliant a storyteller the late Steig Larsson was. Compared to "Dragon Tattoo," this book is more about the character of "The Girl," in the midst of a murder investigation, which all surrounds her. As always, the characters of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are compelling, and certainly makes these books a unique read. Larsson's legacy lives in his books, and it is unfortunate that he did not get a chance to see his books become an international worlwide phenomenon. Read this, then dive right into the final book in the Millenium Trilogy, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."